IWK 250
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| Venue | Riverside International Speedway |
|---|---|
| Corporate sponsor | Steve Lewis Auto Body |
| First race | 1977 |
| Distance | 83.25 miles (134 km) |
| Laps | 250 |
| Previous names |
CHFX 250 (1977–1978) Gatorade 250 (1979) No. 7 Lights 250 (1980) Dairy Queen 250 (1981) Riverside 250 (1986, 1991–1992) Labatt Blue Riverside 250 (1987), (1989-1990) GM Goodwrench 250 (1993) Bud GM Goodwrench 250 (1994) Bud Thunder 250 (1995) Pioneer Coal 250 (1996–1999) Fall Foliage 250 (2006) IWK 250 (2007-Present) |
The IWK 250 is a 250-lap late model stock car automobile race held annually at the third-mile Riverside International Speedway in James River, Nova Scotia.
In 2007 the annual 250 mile race at the track was repurposed to raise money and garner support for the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It has since become one of the primer Pro Stock races in North America, attracting national attention, as well as some of the sports top drivers, including NASCAR Champions Brad Keselowski and Matt Crafton, V8 Supercars Champion Marcos Ambrose, and Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano.
Prior to the 2015 IWK 250 the event has raised over $250,000 for the IWK.
The first 250 was an unsanctioned race that took place in 1977 under track promoters Jerry Lawrence and Ron King, the event would be the first 250 lap race in all of Atlantic Canada. Ontario's Billy Watson picked up the win in that first event.
From 1979–1981 the race was won by Don Biederman, who is best known as being the first Canadian driver to run a full season in the NASCAR Grand National Series. The 1981 race was the last event that was not sanctioned by a touring series. The race then took a five-year hiatus from before returning in 1986 under MASCAR sanctioning, with Greg Sewart winning the first race back. John Chisholm sold the track to Eric Vandaalen in 1989.
The 1991 and 1992 editions of the 250, then known as the Riverside 250, were sanctioned by the American Canadian Tour. Both these events were run by another Canadian racing legend, Junior Hanley.
1993 saw the return of MASCAR sanctioning, with Greg Sewart taking his second win overall in the event. MASCAR sanctioning would continue for the remainder of the 1999 races. Scott Fraser dominated the event during this time, winning five consecutive races from 1994–1998.
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